1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for cleaning and/or disinfecting, and lubricating, hollow or tubular medical treatment instruments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For the treatment of the human or animal body various forms of treatment instruments are used by means of which body fluids are removed or treatment media delivered, as is the case e.g. with a medical or dental handpiece for the treatment of the body. Such a handpiece may be a treatment instrument for mechanical or other treatment of the body, such as e.g. a drilling or milling handpiece, an injection handpiece or a probe.
In all the cases mentioned above, cleaning and/or disinfection of the handpiece is needed after the treatment, in order to remove fouling or contamination of the handpiece.
Cleaning and/or disinfection is difficult with hollow treatment instruments, because the cleaning, disinfection and maintenance care must also take place in small crevices and gaps of the hollow space of the treatment instrument, on the one hand in order to avoid a fouling or contamination of the next body to be treated and on the other hand to ensure a complete internal maintenance care of the treatment instrument, which is of substantial significance for the operating life and functionality of the treatment instrument.
In DE-A-40 24 171 A1 there is described a process for the maintenance care of medical and dental instruments in which the instruments are cleaned by being blown out and are disinfected by being boiled in a water bath. Thereafter, internal drying of the instruments is effected by blowing out with hot air. By such a treatment, a lubricating agent between mechanically cooperating parts in the instrument is removed. In order to ensure the working of the mechanically cooperating parts of the instrument, oil is blown into the instrument by means of hot air, after the internal drying. By means of a subsequent blowing out of the instrument with hot air, the lubrication is intensified and, moreover, excess oil is removed from the hollow space of the instrument. Any oil which reaches the exterior of the instrument can thereafter be removed by cleaning with a tenside supplement, in the sense of an external cleaning.
A comparable process for the maintenance care of medical and/or dental instruments is described in DE 41 25 223 A1.
In various treatment instruments several hollow spaces or cavities are present, which serve for different purposes. For example in a medical or dental treatment instrument there are cavities for accommodating drive parts, such as a drive shaft or possibly a transmission unit, and for the passage of media, in particular treatment media such a air, water or spray.
In the applicant's prior patent application P 42 35 699.7 there is described a device and a process for the cleaning and/or disinfection and/or maintenance care of medical or dental handpieces. With this device, the treatment of the instrument or instruments is effected in the water bath of a washing container to which washing water can be supplied, held at a particular level and discharged, by means of a supply and discharge line. In the washing container, there are arranged holders for holding the treatment instruments in upright position. Thereby, two supply lines are associated with each holder which upon placement of the treatment instrument in the associated holder, e.g. by insertion in or on a support, are connected with the various above-described cavities in the treatment instrument. Upon cleaning and/or disinfection the treatment instrument is first cleaned externally and internally in a hot water bath, and possibly also disinfected--which may be effected by the heat or by a disinfectant supplied to the water. The internal cleaning is promoted by blowing out the treatment instrument with preferably hot air, whereby a drying of the cavities may also take place. With this device and process, the maintenance care agent is delivered only to the cavity of the treatment instrument which contains parts which mechanically cooperate with one another which should lubricated and provided with maintenance care. For this purpose, a maintenance care agent, preferably oil, can be blown in via the associated supply line, in particular by means of hot air. Refilling of at least this cavity with washing water can be prevented by the supply of compressed air through the associated supply line, which builds up pressure in the hollow chamber and thereby prevents the spontaneous entry of washing water into this cavity.
With all the above-described processes for maintenance care there is a difficulty in that the cavity or cavities in the treatment instrument to be cleaned and/or disinfected and subjected to maintenance care can be of difficult shapes and can also have narrow crevices, channels and slits, as is particularly the case when drive or bearing parts are arranged and mounted in the cavity, such as e.g. a drive shaft with roller bearings or possibly also a transmission unit with toothed wheels. In such a case it is difficult and time consuming, after cleaning and/or disinfecting with the relevant liquid, then to remove this liquid from the cavity, because small agglomerations of liquid, surface wettings or drops can collect in particular in corners and crevices and channels or between drive or bearing elements which are connected to one another. When thereafter the maintenance care agent is supplied, it cannot reach locations wetted with or occupied by the cleaning or disinfecting liquid. The consequence is inadequate maintenance care, which leads to premature corrosion and wear of the treatment instrument.
The object of the invention is to so further develop a process of the kind described in the introduction that reliable maintenance care is achieved.